What is Calcium?

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is best known for its critical role in the formation of bones and teeth. In fact, 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1% plays an essential role in other body functions, such as muscle growth, transmission of nerve impulses, blood clotting, and a regular heartbeat.

Health Benefits of Calcium

The health benefits of calcium include:

• Vital for the formation of bones and teeth and keeping them healthy
• Helps to maintain strength
• Plays a role in regulating muscle contractions, including the heartbeat
• necessary for the transmission of messages (impulses) along the nerves
• helps blood vessels relax and constrict (which moves blood throughout the body).
• Necessary for hormones and enzymes that help with various bodily functions.
• Involved in blood clotting

Dietary Sources

Sources of calcium include:

• dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt
• green leafy vegetables, such as kale (but not spinach as the body cannot digest the calcium found it spinach)
• fish where you eat the bones, such as sardines, pilchards and salmon
• almonds and sesame seeds
• broccoli and kelp
• blackstrap molasses,
• brewer’s yeast and  tofu,.
• bread and anything made with fortified flour

If you do not consume enough calcium from your diet, calcium is removed from the bones to continue essential body functions. Over time, this will result in weak bones and a condition known as osteoporosis.

Signs of Deficiency

A lack of calcium can cause rickets in children, and osteomalacia or osteoporosis in later life. Rickets is a condition which affects bone development in children. It causes bone pain, poor growth and soft, weak bones that can lead to bone deformities. Adults can experience a similar condition, which is known as osteomalacia (or soft bones).

Signs of calcium deficiency include muscle cramps, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, nervousness, tooth decay, numbness in the legs and arms, brittle nails, and aching joints.

How much calcium do I need?

You should be able to get all the calcium you need from your daily diet. According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, adults need 700mg of calcium daily.

If you are taking an osteoporosis medication you may benefit from increasing your daily calcium intake to around 1,000mg.

Calcium is more effective when taken in small amounts. You should therefore divide your daily intake into two or three doses. If possible, take calcium one hour before or two hours after meals and before bedtime, rather than in one big dose.

What happens if I take too much calcium?

Taking high doses of calcium (more than 1500mg a day) can lead to stomach pain, constipation or diarrhoea and calcium deposits in the soft tissues. Do not take calcium supplements if you have kidney stones or kidney disease.

Excess calcium can lead to heart disease, artherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries), tendonitis, arthritis and gall stones.

Drug Interactions

Calcium can interact with certain medications and so you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking calcium supplements if you are taking any medication. Calcium can interfere with the absorption of salicylates, bisphosphonates, sotalol, tetracyclines, thiazide diuretics, quinolone antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin), and thyroid hormones.

In addition, certain medicines may interfere with the absorption of calcium. These include anticonvulsants, cholestyramine, corticosteroids, ciprofloxacin, tetracyclines and stimulant laxatives.

Calcium Supplements

Note: Most people should be able to get all the calcium they need from their diet and so calcium supplements should not be required. They should only be taken on the advice of a doctor to help treat a medical condition, such as osteoporosis. Most people take too much calcium (via supplements) and this can lead to heart disease, artherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries), tendonitis, arthritis and gall stones. You cannot get too much calcium from the diet which will lead to these conditions.

Calcium supplements are always combined with other chemicals or salts. The most common forms include calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, or calcium lactate. The difference between these is the percentage of elemental calcium in the supplement and the absorbency. The higher the percentage of elemental calcium in the supplement, the fewer capsules, tablets, or chews you need to to take in order to reach the required dose. Calcium citrate and calcium carbonate are usually the forms which are best absorbed by the body.

Calcium and magnesium work together in the body and so they are usually taken together. Combination supplements are available; and the ratio of 2:1 (calcium to magnesium) is usually preferred.

High quality supplements can be bought here.